the Legacy of Sanctum
by Digger McFoogle
Summary: *R later* AU FFX with FFVII. Be kind to me, this is my first AU fic! In post-apocalyptic Japan two regions known as Spira and Wutai fight a long-standing conflict. Will the two current leaders Auron and Tseng be able to change things before it's too late?
1. Born to Lead

Synposis: AU, mainly FFX with FFVII. Be kind to me, this is my first AU fic! In the derelict post-apocalyptic Japan two regions known as Spira and Wutai fight a long-standing conflict. Will the two current leaders Auron and Tseng be able to change things before it is too late? R/R!!!

_Diclaimer__ and notes: ok, yes this *is* going to be complicated, but hopefully worth it! I was inspired to write this mainly be 2 fics: He Sees Her (Which I am *STILL* waiting to see the third chapter of!) by Dark Mousy and Final Fantasy High, by the fabulous That Angel._

_If you do get confused with who's in which gang, follow these basic guidelines: Spira is FF's X and VIII, Wutai are FF's VII and IX, and there are FFVI characters dotted around the place, but they should be easy enough to place! As you may know, Final Fantasy is owned by Square *slaps forehead*. There will be songs, but I'll disclaim them when I need to._

_I hope you enjoy! This is dedicated to The Great Blade (AKA Matt) who *may* make an appearance!_

Chapter One- Born To Lead

Auron inhaled the deep heavy scent of musky darkness as he walked the sodden streets of his home. The air was thick with smoke and sound; the screams of homeless children, the fire of repeated gunshots… this was Spira. This was home.

The people here belonged to him, he knew that. As he walked through the littered streets watching the frightened and revered expressions of the people he felt pride in what he did. He wasn't the gaoler of this ghetto. He was their leader, a man who understood them far more than the President of the city, sitting in his palace in the main city with every luxury known to man. Indeed, Auron doubted if he even knew about the harsh cruel world that existed in the old town, nor of the intense poverty that faced them. He definitely knew nothing of this fierce underworld life which they led, the hidden beings, the lost souls of Tokyo. He didn't even stop to think that his new bride might be one of them…

Auron remembered "Scarlet". She wasn't always graced with the title of "Scarlet Woman". She was the American Ruby Almasy originally, but came to Wutai after a failed marriage to an executive over there. She brought with her two sons, the bratty spoilt Rufus, who had left to take over his father's business, and the cocksure Seifer, who even now was leeching off his mother's new found success in her second marriage. President Laguna was a sentimental fool, and Scarlet knew that. She played on his romantic side, edging in on the loneliness that had haunted him since the death of his beloved Raine. Scarlet was good at picking up on loneliness. Auron knew from first-hand experience…

He grunted and dismissed the thought from his mind. The mistakes he had made (and there had been a few) were now all in the past. He was stronger from them. As he looked up he recognised a face, and smiled gingerly at the man that waited for him at the door.

"Jecht! What are you doing here?"

"Fine question!" roared the drunkard, pulling a young girl Auron had yet to notice from behind him by her wrist. "Found this one wanderin' the streets. She aint one of ours, I can tell you that! I think she's spyin'"

Auron studied her closely. She was young, ridiculously young. Even that damnable Tseng, leader of Wutai, wouldn't have risked sending an inexperienced kid. She averted her eyes from him, not wanting to show her angry, frightened tears.

"Look at me."

The young girl recognised it was a command, not a request. Cautiously she raised her head, but still could not bring herself to open her frightened eyes.

"Open your eyes."

Another command. Shaking, the girl opened her eyes. "That wasn't so hard now, was it?" she heard a slurred voice from behind her growl. She could feel his hand wrap round her waist, but she was so paralyzed with fear she could not bring herself to stop him…

"Leave her, Jecht." came the gravely voice of Auron, snatching her away from the other man. "Go see how your son's doing with his battle training. We need him ready to fight by the end of the week."

"But-"

"You heard me. I believe she is innocent. If I need your help, I will ask for it."

With that final remark Jecht left, mumbling obscenities all the way. Auron turned away from him and looked at the young girl. She wasn't from around here, that's for sure.

"No good?" the girl asked shakily, trying to force a smile. Auron smiled back at her, desperate to put the girl at ease. "You're not from round here, are you?"

She shook her head. "I'm from England. Name's Rikku. I came here 'cause someone told me I could find someone called-"

"Auron" he finished for her, drawing a cigarette and sparking it. How come he was always sent the new kids?

"Yea, that's it! So, I asked that guy if he knew Auron, and he just started yellin' at me an' all sorts! So, he brought me here, and told me he lived-"

She paused as Auron opened the door to the building ahead. "Heeeey! You… you're Auron!?"

"I'm afraid so." He sighed, ushering her in. She was going to be tough to deal with, he could tell.

"So, Rikku, why are you here?"

Rikku could hardly hear him. She was still waiting by the door as the man exited into another room. "Well… I erm, came here for work."

"What do you do?"

"I'm a singer. I got a job in the Jidoor Opera house, y'know, the one President Laguna's always going to? Allegedly he fell in love with one of the singer's there."

"Yeah, her name was Julia… why are you standing there?" he cried, seeing she was still in his doorway. The young girl blushed. "Well, erm…you haven't actually invited me in yet, so I-"

Auron laughed loudly at the girl. She had far too much protocol for a girl so young. "Well, then, "Miss Rikku", would you care to come in?" he drawled sarcastically, not noticing her face twist into a scowl. Furiously she marched up to him, desperately trying to look imposing. "Hey! I came here in good faith, Mister! I was told you'd help me out with a place to stay, and that's what I intend to get!"

Auron smiled slightly at the kid's rage. She was certainly determined, he'd give her that. Maybe she could be useful.

"I don't give things away, Rikku" he said suddenly, moving away from the bemused girl and sitting on his couch. "I expect to be rewarded if I invest in someone."

"What do you mean, 'rewarded'?" asked the girl suspiciously, seating herself opposite him. He noticed her worried expression and laughed.

"Don't worry, it's not like that. I wonder… do you even know about the war?"

The girl's blank expression said everything.

"Well, the old town of Tokyo was almost destroyed twenty years ago by a huge Tsunami, right?" The girl nodded. Auron sighed and continued. "Well, rather than rebuild the old town, they built over us. Up there" he indicated to the ceiling, though Rikku knew he meant the great metropolis that towered above them. "They built the three regions of Jidoor, Esthar and Dali on stilts above us." he explained bitterly, thinking back to his childhood life in the sun…

"But I know that!" whined Rikku impatiently. "It's been like that since I was born! I wanna know what happened to this place!"

Auron scowled at her impatience. Was he this impatient when he was young? He thought not. "I was getting to that." He spat, crossing over to the decanter on the other side of the room and pouring himself a large whiskey. "About ten years ago, this girl was killed."

Rikku looked at him in horror. "Was she…?"

"Young? Yes, about twenty. Her name was Aeris."

"Was she… did you know her?"

He laughed slightly. "No," he said quietly, sipping the acidic drink to comfort him. "Not personally, anyway- but it was hard not to notice a girl like Aeris Gainsborough. She was so… loved. So good to both Wutai and Spira, but... anyway, she got killed, and she wasn't alone when she was attacked. She was with three other people; Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockheart and Tseng Yoshiro."

"What's so important about that?"

"Well, there was nothing remarkable about Cloud and Tifa. They were just kids she'd got to know. But as for Tseng… he was obsessed with her. And he was pretty powerful, too. Rumour has it that back then he was an assassin for the government."

Rikku's eyes widened. "Really? Wow! But how does that affect Spira?"

"I'm getting to it."

"Sorry."

"Tseng tried to stop the attacker from getting to Aeris, and he received an almost mortal wound himself. Later on, he swore the attacker man dressed in flowing robes with long silver hair."

"Well, there are not many people like that around."

"Exactly!"

Rikku looked at him blankly. "But… what… how…?"

"My master, the old leader of Spira –Sanctum- had an old gambling buddy called Setzer. And you guessed it, Setzer had long silver and dressed- shall we say _elabourately_."

Suddenly the idea dawned on her. "So… Tseng accused Setzer of killing Aeris! And Sanctum wouldn't abandon his friend over an accusation by a man who was barely alive at the time!"

"Exactly." whispered Auron, looking out over his domain. "And besides, Setzer has an alibi for the night and, more importantly, doesn't know how to use a sword. Both Aeris and Tseng were impaled."

Rikku gasped at the thought of what is must be like to be impaled. "Erm… so do people here die a lot?"

He laughed out loud at her. "And then some! Only a week after the death of Aeris, an assassin called Yunalesca was sent after Sanctum. Braska, Jecht, Belgemine and I were all out training with him, and Belgemine got killed. That's when we realised that we had to settle this once and for all."

"And that's when the war happened?"

"Yes. We call it the battle of MiHen because that's where it happened. I believe those stuck-up Wutan's call it the War of Wutai. However, I believe the documented name for it is The War of the Magi."

"The…Magi?"

He nodded. "Both Sanctum and Wutai's leader Godo were incredibly skilled fighters. Modern legends. Some speculated that they knew the secrets of magic, hence the name of their conflict."

Rikku came up beside him and made herself a drink. Auron smiled under his raised collar as she gulped down the liquid adeptly. "So… what happened during this war?"

"Surprisingly little" he said honestly, filing up her glass again. "Many Wutans were killed, which did not help matters, and Godo himself was blinded. Sanctum fled and left me in charge, and we haven't seen him since."

Riku scowled. "Hey! That's pretty mean!"

"No, I don't think so. He needed to get away from this, and I believe I was ready. Besides, all's been quiet for the last five years. Tseng took over leadership of Wutai and then… disappeared."

"Hmm" mused Rikku, joining Auron in looking out over the crowded buildings. "I don't trust it. Why would Tseng just leave like that? Surely he must be planning something?"

Auron considered her words. She gave sound advice for someone so young. "Maybe. But I have other things to worry about now."

"Such as…?"

They were interrupted by a large gunshot reverberating in the distance. All was silent for a few seconds that seemed like hours, and then Auron voiced his fears.

"It's S.I.N."

He dragged Rikku from the window, hiding her behind the couch. "What's Sin?" she asked, her eyes wide from confusion. Auron continued preparing for attack, but tried to explain as best he could. "The Social Inadequacies Neutraliser was set up by General Beatrix after MiHen." he explained, pulling out his blade and fastening his armour. "After the war, the two Generals Beatrix and Careaway were assigned to deal with Spira and Wutai respectively. Because we won, we got the bigger punishment. Every few months our streets get purged."

"By… by what?" she asked, quickly scouring the room for useful objects to defend herself with. "You'll see." was all he said back to her. Rapidly he fastened his belt and turned to her. "Now you can prove you're going to be useful, Rikku. I want you to come with me to try and ward off S.I.N. Don't try and injure it; it has deadly counter-attacks. Just try to scare it off, ok?"

"Understood!" she chirped, trying to ignore the sickly feeling that was building in her stomach. She'd never really fought something before, nothing more than small animals, anyway. Nervously she followed him into the street, only to be greeted with the sight of a small child writing in agony from burns. Its mother was desperately trying to calm it down, and bathe its sore wounds…

"Rikku! I need you!"

Her head snapped up and she was ready. But nothing could have prepared her for what she saw…

The "creature" expanded, drawing itself to its full height. It was large grey and dank; almost looking as if it's skin was made of lead. It roared angrily at Auron and herself, coming towards them in an effort of attack.

"Do all you can to distract it whilst the others move out." He ordered her, slowly unsheathing his Katana. "I'll attack, but I'll need healing."

"Got it!" she replied excitedly. The adrenaline had started racing around her body, making the terrifying beast look slightly less unnerving. Rikku watched closely as Auron charged at the beast, slicing it deeply with his massive blade. She smiled broadly at his success, but soon the smile was wiped away.

"Auron! Watch out!"

He didn't hear. The beast came charging at him, striking him profoundly with one clawed hand. Auron flew across the now deserted streets, landing heavily on the cracked road. Rikku managed to dodge the monster's next blow, but she realised something had to be done fast.

Delving into her knapsack she pulled out two random items. Hastily and haphazardly she meshed them together and threw them at the beast. There was a split second of a cacophony of light and sound, and when Rikku looked back up, the thing was gone.

She breathed a sigh of relief and ran over to the older man. He could barely open his eyes from the pain.

"Rikku… that was…"

"Brilliant? Staggering? Dazzling? I know." She laughed, pulling out two more items and adding them together. "Here, drink this. You'll feel better."

Auron eyed her and cautiously drunk the liquid. He shouldn't trust her, he knew that. She could be anyone; a spy from Beatrix, a Wutan recruit… but when he looked at her he felt compelled to believe what she said. The liquid tasted foul, but as she had alleged it was merely minutes before he was on his feet again and staggering back towards his home.

"Rikku, I've never seen fighting like that before! What… was it?"

"Mixing!" she giggled, skipping on ahead of him. "I think I'm one of the only peeps that do it! It's pretty neat, right?"

He smiled at her relentless optimism. "It is. What was that bomb you made?"

"Aw, that? That was just a calamity mine. You can make bombs with all sorts of stupid things! And that potion I fed you? That was just a combination of a few things I got from your home…"

She clamped her hand over her mouth as Auron laughed heartily. "So, I take it you're a thief then!" he cried as she blushed. "It could be good to have another thief around. Spira hasn't seen one since Sanctum himself."

He pondered further as he looked at the hopeful girl. Her inexperience and naivety was far outbalanced by her boundless enthusiasm and obvious natural talent…

"I can offer you my spare room. You'll have to train twice a week and your rent will be a third of your wages."

"RIGHT ON!" cried Rikku, punching the air with her fist. Auron could tell his first analysis was right. She was going to be the cause of a _lot of problems._


	2. Tseng's Return

Chapter two- Tseng's return

The darkness burned at his soul. He hated being so idle. Once he, Godo Kisaragi, was the greatest warrior and leader in Wutan history. Now, what was he? A lame old man, destined to sit and wait for his revenge to come to him…

"Father!" he heard a shrill voice call from behind him. He tried to ignore her, but she was always relentless.

"Daddy!" she squealed, wrapping her arms around her helpless father. "What is it, Yuffie?" he asked her coldly, shrugging off her arms. "I don't have time for your foolish antics."

She pouted at him and moved away. "I have news. Tseng's coming back." She grinned as her father almost jumped out of his seat with excitement. "Tseng? After all these years!? Tell me, how do you know this?"

Yuffie smirked contentedly. "Well, you know it did take aaaaaages to find out where he was in the first place… and of course I had to spend a lot of time covering my tracks so Spira wouldn't find out…"

Her agitated father groaned and pulled out his bag. Out of it he pulled two sparkling rocks, one red and one purple.

"Oh my gawd! They're great!" squealed Yuffie, attaching the stones to her shruiken. "Now, Tseng's returning from America with new fighters. I got the news from Faris, y'know, the one who disappeared after Lenna died? She's captaining a group of pirates and she says Tseng is preparing…"

"So many died during that year," sighed Godo as he lowly stood. "First Aeris, then in her wake Lenna, Rachel, Zack, Galuf, Leo, and poor Terra… she was so valuable to us…"

"But sir, doncha see? Tseng is _preparing…"_

The idea slowly settled in Godo's mind. "You mean he's gathering forces for another war?"

"Sure thing, dad!" Yuffie piped absentmindedly, still playing with the glittering orbs he had given her. "He should be here in a few days, max."

"Ah! Could it be? Will I really have vengeance?"

Yuffie studied her father's face. She couldn't believe it; after years of trying to lift his spirits, such a petty thing as revenge brought him so much joy. "Looks like a sure thing, pops!" she chirped back, desperately glad he couldn't see the bitter tears that were now falling down her face.

"Tseng's returning. Looks like you were right, Rikku."

Rikku looked up from the music. "How do you know?"

"I have contacts. They tell me Tseng has been in America for the past five years, gathering the best fighters around and training them to be elite." He sighed discontentedly and picked up the telephone. How was it that a sixteen year old girl managed to sense danger before he could? She'd only been in Spira for a few days, and already she was proving herself to be a more competent leader. Disgruntled, he dialled the first number that came to mind…"Braska? Tseng's coming back. Yeah, that's right. He's bringing others too…"

Rikku watched him as he divulged his information to his comrade. Life here was so different from back at home, and yet in a way she felt as if she was born here. Her father would have a fit if he knew she was sharing a flat with a man that was older than him…

"What are you laughing at?"

She looked up to see Auron looking down at her almost angrily. "Nothing!" she chirped, jumping up and facing him. "Just remembering bonny old England, that's all."

Auron studied her joyous face. Surely it was unnatural for someone to be so cheerful… "You know, you don't look English."

"Well, that's 'cause my mother wasn't." she laughed, skipping over into the kitchen. "She came from Dali. I don't know what she was called, but my dad met her at the Jidoor Opera house! That's why I thought it might be nice if I tried to get a job there. It might be nice for dad to bring the family to see where their mother was from…"

"I take it she's-"

"Yup! Dead as they come. I never knew her, but allegedly I'm like her. I sometimes wonder what she was like…"

She came back in with two cups of coffee, handing him one and declaring cautiously "Do you ever think about your family?"

Auron shot a look at her. His life, especially his old life, was not up for discussion. There had been so much that had happened since his youth; the Tsunami, the building of the Upper World, the arrival of Sanctum…

"Yes, I think of them." He whispered. Why was he telling her this? She was just a child…

"I think of mine loads. There's my dad, Cid, and my brothers Keyyakku and Aniki, and of course there are always ones that have… passed away. My mother, Mayanik, my auntie Nyada… and I'll never forget my sister. Nya-Mayjan. Are any of your family…"

"_Dead as they come_?" he laughed, mocking her mercilessly. "Yes, they are- all of them. Now, if you don't mind, I have business with Braska and Jecht-"

"Heeeey!" she squawked, pouting childishly at him. "You can't just cut up a conversation like that! It's-"

-Rude, Elena Vincent and Reno, that's what they called themselves. It had taken Tseng five years, five years to train them. They were good fighters before, but now, mainly thanks to Vincent's expertise, they were the best. The fastest, the toughest, the strongest- The Turks.

He looked down at his watch- five-thirty-five. They were ahead of schedule, which in Tseng's mind was always a good thing. Vincent, who was the eldest next to Tseng, walked by his side. He was much like Tseng himself; a hardened shell of his former character, forever in mourning over a young woman known only as Lucretia… whether that was her real name or a Romanisation Tseng did not know. What he did know however was that Lucretia dominated Vincent's past, his present, and what could possibly be described as his future. He did everything in her name; he did anything to wipe away his _sin, whatever that was…_

Rude walked behind them. Tseng couldn't deny, he liked Rude. Rude was stoic, Rude was reliable, Rude was perfect for taking orders. He was a bouncer before he met Tseng. His life was drink and drugs; both consuming and confiscating. He ran a racket back in Old New York, selling anything to anyone. Now he was going to run a different kind of town, one beaten down by law, one ruled by a dangerous undercurrent of violence rather than the rich glare of nightlife.

Tripping on Tseng's heels was Elena. Why did he hire Elena… well, there were many reasons. She was a young student paying her fees on the street when Tseng met her. Out of pity he took her out, freshened her up and gave her the money to pay her next year. Elena was grateful, _very grateful. When Tseng told her about the problems in Wutai she immediately offered herself to solve them. And with her lithe form, soft pretty looks and sharp wit, she was sure to come in use for pumping information out of General Careaway._

And lastly, dragging his heels at the back was Reno. Reno, the young Mexican kid Tseng never meant to hire. He was slovenly, bitter and constantly drunk. A good fighter, yes, but what use was that when you couldn't shoot in a straight line? However, for all his faults Reno had one redeeming quality; his charisma. Whether it was charming the ladies or preventing world war four, Reno always knew the right thing to say at the right time. Maybe he would prove useful in time…

"Hey, boss, where are we?" asked Elena, her eyes wide as she looked out over the terrain. Tseng smiled as he looked out over Wutai. "This is my land…"

"So, who's this informer you've got on the side then, Auron?" asked Rikku after she had successfully convinced him to take her with him. He gave her a sideways glance. "That's not for you to know, little girl."

"H-HEY! Don't call me that!"

"Call you what?"

"A little girl!"

"Rikku, you're barely sixteen."

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean I'm a kid!" she pouted, pausing in the street. Auron groaned and turned back to her. "Remind me why I decided to bring you with me?" he asked her, stifling a laugh as her face filled with rage. "You know why, Auron! Because I was the one that realised Tseng was up to something! And besides, what if we bump into S.I.N, huh? Who'd save your fat ass if I wasn't around?"

Auron grunted indignantly. She was a sharp kid…

"Hey Auron! What's this I hear about a certain Wutanese bastard showing his face again!" called a ridiculously slurred voice over the streets. "Keep it down, Jecht." Auron replied morosely, noticing the frightened looks of the people on the streets. He strolled rapidly towards his comrade, who was finding it hard to stand up straight. "We don't want to frighten anyone unnecessarily" he told Braska as they entered the man's home. Rikku was dazzled by what she saw. Braska's residence unlike Auron's was homely and beautiful, with many touches that made her feel instantly relaxed. The walls were decked in countless pictures; many of people Rikku had seen before. There was one of Jecht, looking far more dashing without the dazed expression, one of Braska himself and a young girl, who must have been his daughter… and there was one of Auron. He was standing with a beautiful young woman, watching her as she laughed merrily. He hadn't aged as well as Jecht or Braska that was for sure. Maybe it was the pressure of being a leader… she stared at the picture again. Truth be told, he was actually quite… beautiful. Long black hair, no scars… wait. If there were no scars that meant that the picture was taken over ten years ago, before the war of the Magi… and that woman must be…

"Belgemine" she heard a soft voice come from behind her. Rikku turned to see Braska smiling warmly at her. "She was beautiful, wasn't she?" Rikku nodded dumbly. She _was_ beautiful, undeniably so. She stared at the picture again. Auron looked like he was smiling…

"I have another picture I'd like to show you, if that's alright Rikku" he uttered, guiding her towards the opposite wall. Rikku looked up at the large portrait that adorned it… it was Braska again, with his daughter… and there was another person…

Her eyes shone brightly, expressing absolute happiness in everything around her. She wore her strawberry blonde hair in a simple bob, but still the simplicity of her appearance couldn't mask her undeniable glamour and beauty. Rikku recognised her immediately.

"Aunt Nyada!" she shrieked, tracing the portrait with her fingers. "So you're the guy she met out here!"

"That's right! And see that girl? She's now just a few years older than you. She's your cousin, Yuna."

Rikku's jaw dropped. It had never occurred to her that she'd ever have any female relatives. She'd grown up in a male dominated world ever since her sister was tragically killed almost… eight years ago. She looked up at the portrait, staring at this new person in her life whilst Aron tried his best to explain the situation to his peers…

"Tseng's back. I have it on top authority that he's been in America gathering forces. I fear that he may be ready to attack."

"What gives you that idea?" pondered Jecht, pouring himself another drink. Auron smiled at his own answer. "Rikku did."

"What! That God damn Spy-girl!?"

"That's my niece you're talking about Jecht" warned Braska. He thought it through for a moment, and then faced Auron. "Come to think of it, what exactly are _you_ doing living with my fifteen-year-old niece?"

Auron stared at him blankly. "She's eighteen."

"I can assure you, she's not. Look at her! Does she really look eighteen to you!"

Rikku turned to see three sets of eyes all on her. She laughed nervously. "So, what's up?"

Auron groaned. This girl was more trouble than she was worth.


	3. Julia

Chapter 3- Julia

"I'm sorry!"

It must have been the eighth time she'd tried to say it. He just kept walking as if he couldn't hear her… "Hey Auron! I told ya, I'm-"

"You embarrassed me in front of my friends Rikku" he gnarled between gritted teeth, still not facing her. "And believe it or not, I can get in really deep shit over your age."

"Why? You're just putting a roof over my head!"

"I know that and you know that. But who else is going to believe us? The authorities will have a field day if they find out I'm living with an underage girl…"

""WHOA! You think that they'll think there's something going on? Naw!" she scoffed, crossing to the other side of him. "That's ridiculous!"

"No it isn't. They're always looking for ways to make us look bad up there. If they found out about this, then we will never live it down."

Rikku wondered what me meant by "we". did he mean the two of them? Or was he referring to the whole of Spira? She decided not to ask and carry on walking, careful not to step to close to the obviously agitated man. Auron sighed as he noticed her fearful expression. "I think it would be better if you went to live with Braska and Yuna."

"WHAT! No Way! I like living with you!" she squealed, earning a glare from the older man. "What I meant was, we make a good team, you know?" she continued softly, watching as he entered a room. Damn it, why was she so sad?

"Ah, Sir Auron, it's good to see you again!"

Auron crossed over the overflowing hall to the silver-haired man, shaking his hand warmly. "How have you been, Setzer?"

"Well, Sir Auron. And yourself? Rumour has it you have a new partner, and she is a true _bella bambina!_"

Auron looked daggers at the man. "Her name is Rikku, she's a singer and a liar. She's moving out within the hour."  
Setzer winked at his protector. "Ah, lover's tiff, eh Auron? Never you worry; all the most passionate relationships have these great fights, she'll be back before you know it!"

"She's not my girlfriend" he snapped suddenly, noticing Rikku had followed him into the hall. "If you're into kids, then go introduce yourself."

Setzer looked over to the doorway, trying to see past the awkward blonde girl that was blocking his view… "I don't see her."

"Well, you're looking right at her."

Setzer looked over again. Surely… surely not…?

"Eh, Auron? You meant that blonde kid? She's young enough to be your daughter!"

"Don't think I don't know it. And there's nothing going on!" he added, making a hasty retreat as Rikku started to make her way over. "You didn't see me." he hissed as he disappeared through a hidden doorway. Setzer took a deep breath as the girl came over, her green eyes full of puzzlement. "Erm… hey, was that Auron?"

"…was what Auron?"

"That guy?"

"What guy?"

Rikku scratched her head. "I could have sworn…" maybe it was just her imagination. Smiling, she extended her hand. "Ah well. I'm Rikku! Who are you?"

He was slightly taken aback by her forward question. "Ah… I'm Setzer Gabbiani." he replied slowly as Rikku's face erupted into a large smile.

"NO WAY! The Setzer? Wow, that is so cool, Auron's told me all about you! So, did ya do it?"

He scowled at her. "Of course I didn't!" he shrieked "I'm rich! Do you really think I'd bother to kill someone myself? I'd get a flunkie to do it!"

"Okay, no need to get so stressy!" Rikku retorted, sitting herself down next to the bemused gambler. "So… how long you been down here?"

"Ten years." he replied honestly, offering her a cigarette. She refused earnestly, and continued questioning him. "So, I guess you know everyone down here right? 'Cause Auron's a meanie and wont introduce me to anyone…"

Setzer sighed and looked at her. He could see why Auron wanted to avoid her. "Okey, I'll tell you who's who, ok? Any introductions you have to make them yourself!"

"HEEEY! Thanks Setzie!" she chirped, adjusting her eye line to be level with his. "So, who's who in the great land of Spira?"

He thought about it. Where should he start? Well, maybe that was obvious…

"You see he woman who's playing the piano?"

"Yeah… she looks pretty familiar…"

"Her name is Julia."

Rikku's eyes widened in shock. Julia… her hero, Julia. She was not as she remembered, not at all. Instead of the lithe, beautiful, sparkling songstress Rikku had adorning her walls, she was faced with a soulless skeleton with hollow eyes, and far more shockingly a huge burn covering half of her face and body. "What… what happened to her?"

"She got involved with the wrong sort of people." Setzer sighed honestly, taking a long pull from his dying cigarette. "She was a singer up at the Jidoor opera house, but judging from your expression you already know that. Anyway, she attracted the attention of a certain soldier called Laguna Loire, who was and still is a romantic, idealistic fool. He thought he would be the only one interested in this woman, and that she would love him back, and they would have a great big wedding and 2.4 children… but Julia was already involved with someone else. She was Careaway's mistress. Even back then during the rule of Adel, Careaway was a hugely important political figure. He saw Loire moving in on his territory, and he decided to get rid of him by sending him on a mission to America and arranging to have him killed. But Julia has stupidly fallen in love with the boy. When she told Careaway, he went crazy and attacked her by throwing scalding water at her. As far as the world knows, she's dead. Even Laguna has no idea she's here."

"That's… so sad." Rikku managed to squeak out, now recognising the song that Julia was singing. It was Eyes on Me, the song she had written for her true love… Laguna.

Setzer watched as the young girls eyes glazed with tears. She was easily affected with the plights of others. That was never going to be a good quality down here. She turned back to him and wiped her eyes slightly. "So… who else is there?"

"Erm…Those two girls at the door. They're close to your age."

She looked over to see two stunning brunette females laughing together. "Who are they?"

"The one on the left is Rinoa, Julia and Careaway's daughter. Beautiful, isn't she? And she knows how to use it. She's dating Seifer Almasy, much to her mothers distress. He's the son of Laguna's second wife Ruby, or "Scarlet" as we all call her. If you ask me, she's in it for revenge. Rinoa's very protective of her mother. Anyone that's hurt her she hates, and that means she hates Laguna. She wants to get close enough to cause pain."

"That's… pretty nasty. Laguna didn't mean to hurt her mum…"

"I know that, you know that, but will she listen?!?"

"I guess… so, who's the other girl?"

"Her? She's Braska's daughter, Yuna."

Rikku looked back over. So that was her cousin… she watched her as she laughed, her smile radiating joy and peace over the room. She was so beautiful… maybe not physically as stunning as her raven-haired counterpart, but there was something deeper inside that made her outstanding. Rikku watched spellbound as she laughed. Standing, she started to make her way over to where they were standing.

"Hey!" she heard the voice of Setzer call over to her. "What about the grand tour?"

"…let me know when!" she called back absently as she stalked closer to her cousin. Yuna looked up at the girl in front of her. "Can I… help you?"

Rikku flung her arms around her, causing Yuna to buckle back in shock. "Hey… excuse me! Who the hell are you?"

"Oh!" squeaked Rikku, detaching herself from the perplexed girl. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm.. Rikku! Your cousin!"

Yuna's eyes widened. "You're… Rikku? Really! It's… wonderful to finally meet you!" she gasped, hugging Rikku almost as enthusiastically as she had done a few moments ago. "What are you doing in Spira?"

"I got a job! I'm working in the Jidoor Opera house! I wanna be just like my heroes, Celes Chere and Ju-"

She smacked her hand over her mouth as she saw Rinoa's face. Her mouth was tightened into a sharp pout, and her eyes looked on the verge of tears. Then miraculously her face twisted into a half-baked smile. "It's nice to know mother was appreciated." whispered the dark beauty as she indicated to her mother. "Do you… want to meet her?"

Rikku's eyes widened. "Do I ever!" she cried excitedly, grabbing on to the bemused Rinoa's hand and going with her over to Julia. The older woman looked up at her with a bemused face. "Mother, this is Rikku. She's just got a job at Jidoor. She's told me she's a huge fan of yours…"

"That's right!" perked up Rikku, "I've been listening to your stuff since I was a little girl! I got your picture on my wall an' everything!"

Julia smiled slightly, gently taking the young girl's hand. "I appreciate it, Miss Rikku." she said sweetly. "Its so good to met people who remember how it was…" she faded away, and stared at the piano. "I hope you have much success as a singer, Miss Rikku. Lord knows you have the looks to make it big." she chuckled to herself, gently tracing her hand over the scar which marred her face. "Be careful out there. Don't do anything that could jeopardise-" she stopped herself. "I don't suppose you'd understand. I wish you all the best."


	4. Wutan Brave

Chapter 4- Wutai Brave

"So Tseng, this is our new home."

Elena had quickly settled into her new life in Japan. Well, she'd always been told she was adaptable. Now all she wanted to know was what she had got herself into.

Tseng forced a smile at the chipper bimbo. "Yes, this is Wutai."

He had missed it, he could not deny it. The shanty houses and mountainous area were etched in his memory for the entire time he spent in America, and he felt hollow being so far away from _her_… Gods, he had missed her. Her long brown hair, the deep green of her eyes…

"So, who's names do I have to know?"

Tseng pursed his lips together agitatedly. He turned to the girl and simply replied "Why do you need to know?"

"I gotta know who I'm dealing with, Tseng! Especially if I'm gonna set up that computer network we were talkin' about!"

He sighed slightly. Elena and her ideas… she had convinced him to network the entire of Wutai for security reasons. She had some ideas for such a dumb blonde…

"Here's a quick list of the important ones. One: Godo Kisaragi. He's the boss. Whatever anyone tells you about me being in change, he is my lord and as such had ultimate authority. Two: Yuffie Kisaragi. Godo's daughter. Kleptomaniac. Three: The Shadow. Actually better not put him on the data list. He's a free spirit, taught Yuffie the arts after Locke disappeared on us. Rumour has it he was trained by Sanctum himself, and has actually seen his face… anyway, Four: Garnet. She is fucking important, ok? A Summoner. They have strange ESP abilities and are very useful in battle. Five: Kuja. Damn that man scares me… he's always round Garnet, but he calls her Dagger or Canary. Don't ask. And Six: Gau. Just because he's a kid don't put your guard down. He's one of our strongest fighters. And that's the important people covered with the exception-"

"Of you, me, Vinnie, Reno and Rude right? Got it!" she squealed, finishing of entering the data on her palm pilot. "So that's that then! I'll get working straight away!"

"Oh and Elena? Leave a space for someone."

"Who?"

"Aeris…"

"She was a good girl. Pity she's gone"

Dr Hojo paced around the laboratory idly chatting to his cohorts. "At least we still have a few other specimens to amuse ourselves with."

He smirked and crossed over to the tank that held S.I.N. "Ah, the sweet touch of sin." he cackled, turning to his second in command. "It's a beautiful beast, ne? A truly worthy successor to Jenova!"

Odine smiled at him slightly. "If zat is vat you tink, Dr Hojo. However, I must zay de Jenova project returned more favourable results zan dis creature."

Hojo laughed evilly. "So you believe that your dearly departed wife had been infused with inferior cells to the ones given to the Flower Girl or the silver general? How rich! Tell me, how did Adel suffer from the cells more so than Sephiroth has?"

Dr Tot waddled forward, nervously pushing his wire-rimmed glasses up his roman nose. "I believe each has suffered equally. Adel you see lost all physical attributes that made her who she was, whereas Sephiroth… he lost all his mind, and immediately attacked the one thing you needed. To be honest… you are both as bad as each other."

Odine shot the man a surprised look. "Zat iz your opinion, Dr Tot? An interezting perspektive, conzidering you yourself operated on your ward Sarah wiz out her consent. And vat did you use on her? Vy, I am tinking it vas S.I.N cells vas it not?"

"Indeed" joined in Hojo. "We are all bound by are secrets, are we not? And one man hold the key to all of them…"

The old man who had been sitting quietly at a desk looked up briefly from his writings. "I merely document your fine experiments, I must say." he chuckled in his rich English accent. "And that, as they say, is that!"

Hojo smiled wryly. "Indeed, Maechen. You are almost blameless. But don't forget I know of your dealings with the boy… what was his name?"

"Tidus, I believe you'll find." he said nervously, looking into the crazed eyes of his employer. "And I never did anything to him. I merely…"

"Toyed with him psychologically? Inflicted him with false memories? Come Maechen, though you have not physically manipulated him as we have our… projects, you have caused the boy great distress. Thus we are all bound to secrecy, ne? but enough of such pleasantries." he mocked, crossing over to the head of the table and beckoning for the others to sit. "There is a reason I called you all here. I wish to talk about the current status of our research. Number one: The Esper project. Esper A, Terra Branford is dead, therefore that leaves the Chere twins, Esper B and Esper C."

"You mean Celes and Cefca? But zey have proved immune, have zey not?" quizzed the anxious Odine.

"No, unfortunately they have not. Esper B, the female who you mentioned as Celes has proved to react well to the Esper cells; genetic engineering has made her to all intents and purposes the perfect model of a human being. Her hair is long and blonde, her eyes are clear and blue, and she has a flawless figure. But her mental attributes are the most outstanding. She has an I.Q of one sixty and reaction times of less than 0.05 seconds." he paused as he tried to explain the next part. "Whereas Esper C… although he possesses the same physical and mental attributes as his sister, he displays behavioural patterns shockingly similar to Jenova D. Violent tendencies, an abnormal tendency to-"

"For god's sake man, you cant even refer your blood son's name!" blurted out Tot, his face turning slowly red from tension. "Sephiroth is your son, have you forgotten! And Odine, Adel was your wife! Does it men so little to you…" his voice trailed away as he realised he was being ignored.

Hojo continued. "We move on to our most successful project, the Jenova project. Jenova A, Ifalna Gast, died with little success. Jenova B, Lucrecia Hojo, produced evidence that the cells prevent aging and prolong death. Jenova C… well you don't need to know about that. A failiure, that is all. Jenova B also sucessfully gave birth to Jenova D, Sephiroth. Jenova D proved to be an immaculate fighter and great mind, however complications developed-"

"He discovered the truth about what happened, you mean" fumed Dr Tot angrily. "It was only a matter of time-"

"Dr Tot! Please refrain from such ethics inside the lab!" a small ripple of laugher echoed across the damned before Hojo continued. "Jenova E1 and E2, the nameless soldiers, are still wandering the world as far as we know, which brings us to Jenova F. It can be debated that the girl Aeris Gainsborough is entirely unconnected to the project as she was never injected with the cells, but the genetic similarities between her and Jenova itself are undeniable."

"Yeees, but wiz out Jenova or ze girl we vill never be able to compare zem!" cried the exasperated Odine. "Surely zis is pointless."

"Ah, not so Odine! You see, I have spent some considerable time developing something which may aid us greatly in our research." he brought a small remote from inside his pocket and produced a projection on the wall. It showed a small vial of greenish liquid that glowed with a strange aura. "I call it Mega-Phoenix. It is a formula that can regenerate Jenova cells."

"But… how iz zis? How can it be done?"

"Don't worry about that yet. All we have to think about is how to get the body of Aeris away from Wutai."

"Won't she be buried?" enquired Maechen, his spectacles glinting under the lights. "I must object to disturbing graves."

"She is not buried. She has been frozen. She is kept in the house of the Wutan Brave."

"Tseng Yoshiro Xu?"

"Yes, the very same. He guards her almost obsessively, so it will be difficult."

"Zen how do ve do it?"

"We've got a spy in Wutai. We can use them to find the perfect time to strike."

"Zen it iz settled! Ve must continue zis research, no? All in favour?"

Dr Hojo, Dr Odine and Professor Maechen raised their hands. Grudgingly Dr Tot raised his right hand, scolding himself at what he had done…

"Tseng! You have returned to me!"

Godo tried to pull himself up, only to be steadied by his daughter. "Whoa, easy pops!" she giggled, forcing him to sit back down. "He's not going anywhere, are ya Tsengie?"

Tseng smiled honestly. He'd missed the girl. He always saw her as a sister. "I'm staying right here Yuffie." he replied, embracing the teenager fondly. "Great to see you Tseng!"

Tseng crossed over and took his lord's hand. "Godo-roushi. It has been a long time."

"Tseng-chan, it is truly a miracle that you have returned."

"It was only a matter of time my lord. Tell me, how has Wutai been in my absence?"

"There have been more attacks I am afraid. Two new weapons, Emerald and Ultima. Luckily Yuffie managed to fend them off!"

The young girl blushed. "Awww, dad, it wasn't just me! I got loadsa help from the locals!"

"But you lead well, Yuffie. I am proud."

The girl said nothing. Grinning at Tseng she hugged him tightly. "It's been far too long, Tsengie."

He kissed the top of her head. "Indeed it has omnisan. But I have people for you to meet! May I present to you, the Turks."

Elena stepped forward first. "Erm.. Hey, my name's Elena Marshall. I… well, I came here because I believe I can help with your cause. I'm great with computers, so I was thinking maybe I could set up Wutai with some extra security, maybe to help combat these "Weapons"…"

Reno followed her. "De name's Reno Ariazza. I come for de booze, I 'ere Sake is good an cheap, right Tseng? Oh, an' of course de foxy oriental women" he added, taking the bemused Yuffie's hand and kissing it dramatically.

Rude interrupted as he stepped forward. "Rudolph Molotov. Don't bother remembering it. Call me Rude. Look, give me orders and I'll obey 'em. That's the deal I cut with Yoshiro here."

Vincent came forward last. "The name's Vincent Valentine. That's all you need to know. I will aid you in every way I can, you can rely on that."

Godo laughed. "You would get on well with The Shadow, Mr Valentine! Yuffie, where is our esteemed guest?"

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Who can tell with him! If you want to summon him, I can call Interceptor if you want!"

Godo nodded in approval and Yuffie whistled loudly. Sure enough, an imposingly large Doberman leapt to her side, baring its teeth at the newcomers.

"He eats strangers" an unknown voice came from behind Tseng. He turned to see a tall cloaked figure looming over his short stature. "Ah, you must be the Shadow." he said boldly, staring straight into the taller man's half-hidden eyes. Shadow merely stared back at him. "And you must be the Wutan Brave." he replied coldly, crossing over to Yuffie and taking her hand possessively. "You must begin your training now, my lady."

Yuffie blushed and followed her sensei. "Oh my Gawd! How embarrassing!" she giggled as she left the bemused Turks with her father. Tseng shook his head at the girl's obviously unsuitable crush and accosted his master. "Sir, may I take my leave? I wish to see-"

"Of course, of course!" cried Godo enthusiastically, "You are free to go, all of you if you wish."

Tseng nodded. It had been too long…

The chamber was cold and dark, but Tseng did not mind in the slightest. Without fear he entered the room, walking over to the tank with eyes filled with tears. "I've missed you darling" he said earnestly, tracing the glass with his hand. She was so beautiful… "It's been too long…"


	5. Rinoa's Games

Chapter 5- Rinoa's games.

"Why, Miss Ellone, you look absolutely beautiful toady!"

The young woman looked up from her book, a surprised look plastered on her face. "Why… thank you, Seifer" she stammered, closing the page and going to walk away. Seifer checked Elle's backside lazily as she walked away, earning a glare from his half-brother.

"Look at my sister like that one more time Seifer and I will fucking lay you out."

Seifer grinned at his brunette counterpart. "She's no more your sister than I'm your brother Squall! Adopted, remember? Like I would go for anything that was related to you!"

Squall stopped himself from punching the smirking fool. Growling he grabbed his car keys and went over to the door before being stopped by his stepmother.

"Squall, you going out?" she asked in her perfected falsetto voice. "If you are, remember you have to be back by five. We've got to get you all set up for the party!" she forced a sweet laugh as Squall smiled unconvincingly back at her. "so, you got a date for tonight?"

"I'm going to accompany Elle, Ruby."

"Please, call me Ma!" she smiled, noticing Seifer looking self-satisfied. "So, who are you bringing sweetheart?"

"Rinoa's coming tonight, Ma!" he said smugly, smirking at Squall. "Y'see, some of us just attract women effortlessly, and some of us like poor Squally here…"

"Whatever." he chanted in a familiar fashion as he exited the room. Scarlet's smile evaporated as she slammed the door behinds her. "What the fuck are you playing at?" she growled at her son, gabbing his short blonde hair and pulling on it. "N-n-n-nothing, Ma'am" he managed to choke out as his face went puce from pain.

Scarlet yanked him off his seat to the ground, digging her manicured nails into his scalp so hard she drew blood. "Seifer Shinra, sometimes you don't even know you're born! I've worked my fucking ass off to get us here. You are not going to ruin it just because you want to piss off that goth kid."

"I'm sorry…"

"Yeah, you should be." she hissed, releasing her son to light up her cigarette. "I don't think you quite understand how fucking hard it was to get myself here." she continued in her rough, gravely voice. "Laguna wasn't like your father. He was all about emotions and shit. It took a long time to win his trust."

"Why… why didn't you just leave him and go for someone like dad?" asked Seifer tentatively, gently massaging his wounds. Scarlet just sneered at him and replied "Because Laguna is rich and stupid… one thing I could say for Shinra, he had half a brain. Laguna just smiles like a moron and the world smiles back."

"But-"

"The point is Laguna lets me spend him money. Dumn fucker. He thinks I spend it on clothes and jewellery!" she sniggered, taking a long drag on her cigarette and dialing a number on her mobile. "I got Hojo coming over in half an hour to go over the Proud Cloud plans. You better make yourself scarce." 

"Yes Ma'am."

***

"Oh 'Noa, you look gorgeous!"

Rinoa smiled lazily as she looked in the slightly broken mirror. The short cream dress cost more yen than she cared to even think about, and fitted her like a dream. Indeed, when she was in it she really felt like she was living up to her nickname: Angel. "Must say I do!" she giggled, turning round to see Rikku was smiling almost as much as her. "So, who's your date for the dance? Did he buy this dress? Tell me everything!"

Rinoa smiled broadly. She couldn't remember having this much fun before Rikku arrived. Every day seemed like an adventure rather than a chore with her. "Well, my date is Seifer Shinra. Oh, but never call him that if you meet him. He always uses his mother's name, Almasy. I prefer Shinra myself… has an air of importance, doncha think?"

"Well, Duh!" Rikku giggled, applying some lipgloss to the pouting brunette's lips. "Shinra inc are the biggest nuclear power suppliers in the world! They practically own it!" she paused for a second, a wry smile playing on her lips. "heeey… you don't think you could get me a date with Rufus do ya? He's pretty hot!"

"I can try!" Rinoa joked, slipping into her heels. "And yes, Seifer bought this dress! You think I could afford something like this!"

"So… do you love him?"

Rinoa stopped suddenly, the smile evacuating her face. "I… don't believe in it."

"What? Love?"

She shook her head. "Love is too dangerous, it really is. But I like Seifer. He's fun, and reckless, and hates Laguna! We've got a lot in common!"

"I guess…"

"Look, Rikku… I don't wanna sound rude or anything, but your life… its been different to mine. I've been brought up to detach myself from emotion. You grew up in a family life, surrounded by people who loved you, and who taught you how to love… it wasn't like that with me. My closest family wont even look at me. Mother has a hard time acknowledging me because I… I remind her of Careaway. I don't know what I would have done if Xu hadn't been around…"

Rikku looked at her, obviously confused. "Who's Xu?"

"Xu knew mom when she first met Careaway. They were best friends! I think Xu works for Laguna and Scarlet now, she tutors the boys along with this American governess, I forget her name…"

"So Xu helped you out?"

"Yeah, she found Ma down here and offered to help her readjust. She's always been there by my side. And she's the one who introduced me to Seifer." Rinoa giggled as she held her hair messily above her head. "Up or down?"

"Hmmm. I think down. Hey, where's Yuna? I thought she was in charge of hair!"

"She's gone to see Tidus again." droned Rinoa as she let her hair fall again. "Honestly, they sneak about so much, but I bet Jecht and Braska would be thrilled their kids were getting together!"

"Wow, they're a couple! I never knew!" sighed Rikku. How come even though she'd been there for well over two months she still didn't know what was going on?

"What's with the sad tone, Riks? Were you planning on ensnaring him yourself?"

"Dang, its just one less eligible young guy, that's all! I mean, you've got Seifer, Yuna's got Tidus, Fujin's got Raijin-"

"Erm, Rikku? They're brother and sister!"

Rikku digested this new piece of information. "Jeez, I really don't know anything about this place!"

Rinoa laughed loudly. "See, there's still hope! I mean, Raijin may be a bit of a klutz, but-"

"NO. WAY. Me and Raijin? I think not, tiny, tiny brain!" Rikku laughed as she made gagging noises. "I think the single life is becoming more appealing!"

"Well, I tell you what: you let me borrow those cute lil' earrings Braska bought you for your birthday and I'll set you up on a hot date! Deal?"

Rikku laughed as she took her beloved earrings out of her ears. "Deal!"

***

Seifer swung at the man, a blow that would have killed him ordinarily. But his master was too shrewd for that. Effortlessly he dodged the blow, falling one himself on the young blonde's back with the flat side of his blade. Seifer hit the ground awkwardly, grunting indignantly at the masked face of his instructor. "Sorry Sir, I am finding it hard to concentrate. I will do better, I swear."

The figure pulled his student up and sighed. "I can tell. Might it have something to do with the wounds in your hair? They seem to be what is bothering you."

Seifer blinked. "How can you tell? You cant see them can you? Damn, I thought I'd cleaned them up-"

"They are not visible. Your mannerisms tell me they are there. You need to work on that."

"Yes master."

"I suggest we call it a day." the figure said in a strangely soft voice, resting his ornate gun blade on the ground. "We will continue tomorrow."

"Very well, master."

Seifer started to walk away. He wasn't weak. He was stronger than his mother… he would show her someday.

Lighting a cigarette he strolled down the grand halls of his home. He was used to grandeur. Those few months he spent in Spira opened his eyes to the other life. The sordid dangerous existence of the slums. In ways he loved it; the reckless existence, the everyday struggle for life… but he knew he could have never survived it. He remembered Godo looking at him distastefully… "He'll never do."

So he'd decided to change. Day after day he trained with his master, The Great Blade, pitting the Hyperion against Tallentas, growing stronger all the time. And for what? He could never tell. He was not going to return to Godo's masses, that was sure. Maybe he was just doing it to prove he could…

"PROUD CLOD! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN IT'S CALLED PROUD CLOD!"

Seifer smiled against his better judgement. Sure, he was bound to get beaten for it later, but seeing his mother so angry was hilarious. He hid behind the door and saw Hojo's calm face as he tried to explain.

"it's all a mistake I'm afraid. Heidegger took the order and misread your printing. The blueprints are now for the Proud Clod."

"Damn it, you bastard! Don't you get how stupid that sounds! Oh, I bet those stupid little fuckers in Wutai will be pissing themselves when the "Prod Clod" comes along! Damn it, I can already hear that Kisaragi bitch's laugh"

"I am sorry you feel that way, Scarlet" Hojo replied, the slightest trace of a smile playing on his lips. "But it is done now. Please, you mustn't be angry. It is still the same weapon."

Scarlet could feel the tears prick at her eyes. "Get out!" she shrieked, watching as the older man fled. Was it the same? A name is identity… her baby had been falsely christened… was it even her child anymore? A single tear rolled down her cheek, leaving a long streak of black. None of then could possibly understand… similar tears came when Sapphire had destroyed itself. They were her children, her angels… the one reason she continued in life.

Scarlet Woman. That was what they'd called her. It hurt at first, the analogy of being a whore… because back then she wasn't. She was just an envied student of engineering, one who had designed an incredible weapon… Ruby, after her own name. Shinra became enamoured with her genius and her figure; she married him yes, but her affection lied elsewhere… in a blueprint for her baby.

A small whimper escaped her as she looked at the blueprint. It was so perfect… the ultimate weapon. Yet it had been christened so foully. Proud Clod... There was no pride in that name. She had chosen Proud Cloud after one of Hojo's own experiments. The nameless soldier Jenova E2 with whom she'd become enamoured. He was strong, tough… she had aided in the escape of him and Zack, had presented them to Godo as new blood. And when he came to thank her, the words couldn't come… he just stood there, the Proud Cloud.

"Ma'am… please don't cry."

She flinched at the human contact. Her son, the second, unwanted son. "Go away." she whispered. He couldn't see her cry.

Seifer looked down at her. She looked so vulnerable… he almost felt like crying himself. Gently he extended his arm and placed it on her shoulder. Primitive consolation, a replacement for the loss of words.

She tensed. His touch was unwanted. _Why wouldn't he leave? "Get off me!" she shrieked, her voice cold and nerved. Still he did not move. "Ma, please-"_

"I said get off!" With that statement she turned and struck him harshly, slapping him so hard that he fell roughly back to the ground. It took a few seconds to register, but there was Seifer, his perfect porcelain face slashed open by her crimson talons. "Seifer, get up." she said hastily. She panicked; looking at the blood that was covering his face. She'd never hit him anywhere visible before. Seifer groaned as he saw the blood cover his face. "Shit! What the hell's Rinoa going to say?"

"You cant go. I'm taking you to Dr Tot."

***

Rinoa looked around. He wasn't coming. Typical man. She checked her watch. It was now nine-fifteen, and he was meant to meet her at eight.

She sighed impatiently. Everyone around her was having a great time. Familiar faces abounded; she could see Ellone Loire and her damned father smiling sweetly and entertaining the press that had congregated. Trust Seifer; he had told her it was a "Family Party"- he neglected to mention it was the annual government ball. Damn him. She could see her father too, with his wife Edea and her half-sister Lulu. Bitch. She was so pampered, so completely spoilt… Rinoa took a strange sort of pleasure in the fact that her Hawaiian boyfriend had died in a surfing accident. And as for Edea… well, she was well-meaning enough. She had even invited her mother into the mansion, knowing full well of her relationship with her husband. Others were there too, like Dr Hojo, head of scientific research, Ruby "Scarlet" Loire, the "first lady" of Tokyo, General Beatrix- _must introduce myself to her _Rinoa noted duly- Professor Maechen, The celebrated Scholar, and Hojo's second in command Odine accompanied his two daughters Melia and Jun, better known as the courtesans-come-assassins Ultimecia and Yunalesca. Rinoa smiled. They were dressed "distinctively" as per usual, and were flashing so much flesh to the press that it could be considered illegal.

Only one person seemed to be as bored as she was. He was standing in a blue suit against the wall, scowling in the direction of Scarlet and sipping on a glass of champagne. She smiled to herself. She knew who it had to be. "Squall Leonheart-Loire."

She walked over confidently, catching his gaze for a brief second before going back to his drink. She smiled and raised her index finger to herself. One chance…

"You're the best looking guy here. Dance with me?"

He didn't respond. Glowering, he turned away. Why was this random girl talking to him?

Rinoa still smiled sweetly. Sure he was going to be difficult, but she'd win. "I guess you'll only dance with someone you like" she prodded, walking in front of him. Giggling, she waved her hand in front of him. You're-going-to-like me...You're-going-to-like-me..." She chanted, always watching for a change in his expression. "Well, did it work?"

Squall looked down at the girl in front of him. She was cute, he had to give her that… he'd just never really had time for girls. Girls was Seifer's area. His was training. However tonight he felt… different. Maybe it was the champagne, but he heard himself say. "…I don't dance."

Rinoa listened as the music changed to Eyes on Me, her mother's beloved song to Laguna. She could see the older man shift nervously, which made her grin broaden. "You'll be fine" she assured the teen, taking his hand softly. "I'm looking for someone. I can't be on the dance floor alone." Cursing herself slightly for mentioning Seifer, she lead him into the flurry of the floor. All the time, she contemplated the words of her mothers song…

_Whenever sang my songs_

_On the stage, on my own_

_Whenever said my words_

_Wishing they would be heard_

_I saw you smiling at me_

_Was it real or just my fantasy_

_You'd always be there in the corner_

_Of this tiny little bar_

She laughed slightly. Squall was right; he couldn't dance at all. He stumbled over her feet, his faced buried in a frown of concentration. He had little of his fathers looks, more of the soft features once possessed by Raine. She giggled as he tried to walk away. It wasn't difficult to drag him back.

_My last night here for you_

_Same old songs, just once more_

_My last night here with you?___

_Maybe yes, maybe no_

_I kind of liked it your way_

_How you shyly placed your eyes on me_

_Oh, did you ever know?_

_That I had mine on you_

His eyes were Laguna's, she saw it now. As she heard her mother's lyrics and watched the bemused man as he frowned, she got a strange thought. Maybe…

Her train of thought was interrupted as squall bumped them into another couple, one that she recognised as Beatrix and her beau, the German general Steiner. Beatrix glowered at her, and Rinoa felt obliged to glower back. Damn that woman…

_Darling, so there you are_

_With that look on your face_

_As if you're never hurt_

_As if you're never down_

_Shall I be the one for you_

_Who pinches you softly but sure_

_If frown is shown then_

_I will know that you are no dreamer_

Ironic… those last words seemed to have more of a relevance for the son than the father. Squall was looking bored, and she desperately wanted to introduce herself to her half-sister… She broke away suddenly from the bemused man, who called out after her. "Hey! I don't even know your name!"

Rinoa smiled to herself. What could she tell him? Ah yes it seemed so obvious now… the name which had been set upon her by the enamoured residents of Spira…

"Angel."

_That was chapter five *phew* it took a while._

_The reason I'm putting an AN here is I need to ask your opinion on something- should this be a Seinoa or a Squinoa? If it is a Seinoa it kinda makes the story more complete, and is a bit more of a happy ending (I wont spoil it by saying how)… but I know how you all love your Squinoa's. If it is Squinoa, then the ending is sadder for everyone other than Rinoa. So it really boils doen to this: Do you want a happier ending for a few other characters, or does Rinoa's happiness matter more? I am torn, as I *do* love writing angst but also like it when everything is complete in an ending. So REVIEW and tell me! xxx_


	6. Gambling with lives

Chapter 6- Gambling with lives

Setzer watched the clock tick… _tick, tock, tick_… he watched it most days. It signified so much; the daily flow of life, the never-ending pace of time… and of course, the length of time he had been in hiding.

He thanked Sanctum every day for concealing him. Where would he be if he hadn't taken refuge in Spira? He didn't doubt he'd have been dead. But sometimes he caught himself thinking… would it have been so bad if he had died back then? Was the life he was living now any better than being dead?

Once he was a gambler. The greatest gambler ever, the owner of the largest casino in Tokyo, which he had now discovered had been taken over by a Brazilian body builder and turned into an amusement park. Go figure. One he had had money, prowess, and… and Daryl.

Ah, Daryl. His beautiful companion from Sweden. She was a real wild card; a tomboyish, strong, reckless technician, with a penchant for racing and speed. He loved her, but never had the chance to tell her… she had died in a crash on the year anniversary of Aeris' death. A further investigation found that her brakes had been cut. It was sabotage.

Why did innocent people have to lose their lives because of one other life being lost? No, that wasn't what bothered him… why did innocent lives have to be lost over him? The battle of MiHen was all over him… why couldn't he have been a man and accepted death, even if it wasn't his fault… he would have been a martyr. But then again… would it have really solved anything? Wouldn't Auron or Sanctum just have fought over his death instead? It was endless… unless they could find the true killer of Aeris. Maybe that would help things…

But it wouldn't bring any of them back.

Aeris would still be dead, as would Belgemine, Daryl, Leo, Galuf, Lenna, Terra, Jessie, Biggs, Wedge, Rachel and many others… blood had been spilt over him, and he could not change that. No matter how much he wanted to…

He sparked up again. Each cigarette shortened his life by five minutes… not really fair on those who fought to save his life, but it was his one joy now. He couldn't leave the undergrowth. His life was spent in this hall, watching others, thinking of the life he once had… He looked out into the streets and remembered those who had fallen. Gambling with chips had turned to gambling with lives.

***

"Vat do you mean my girls are linked to ze S.I.N project?"

Beatrix calmly looked into the raving doctors eyes. "We have reason to believe that because they were both born from Adel, they will have similar gene patterns to those in the current S.I.N."

"But zat is preposterous! Ze girls were born before ze S.I.N project!"

"Yes, but the current S.I.N was made with cells from Adel, cells which your daughters themselves have inherited! I'm sorry Odine, but they themselves swill have to be considered for the basis of the next S.I.N. Hojo, you have my permission to add Melia and Jun Odine as S.I.N F1 and S.I.N F2"

Odine looked numbly at his employer. Hojo merely shrugged. "We merely need to use some of their cells. I doubt any harm will come to them."

Odine knew that wasn't true. One day, they would start experimenting on one of them, and then… he didn't want to think about it. He could remember how Adel suffered at the hands of Hojo… the S.I.N project had destroyed her life. He couldn't imagine Ultimecia or Yunalesca going through that…

Beatrix watched Odine as he struggled to come to terms with the news. She hated moments like this; when she took the job of General there was no mention of this. She drank do distance herself from the S.I.N project… she heard daily of the dead children, the torn families that were left in the genetically altered beast's wake. It was her fault. All of it. Steiner would always try and convince her otherwise, but it was the truth… she sent that beast in, she ran the missions…

"General Beatrix, do we have a date for the operation?"

She inhaled deeply. "October fourteenth." she said dryly before exiting. It was truly never ending…

Hojo smiled as the beautiful woman left the premises. He turned to his secretary and smiled. "You can bring in General Careaway and Lady Loire now." The dark haired woman nodded and went outside, leaving Hojo to deal with the plans.

Scarlet sat waiting, glaring at Careaway. The man was atrocious. Even she was sickened by his lack of morals and justice… indeed, he stood by and let Beatrix attack his daughters home without batting an eyelid. He was truly malicious.

"Lady Loire, General Careaway, would you like to come through?"

Scarlet smiled at the familiar face. "Sure thing, Xu" she chuckled, following the discreet woman through to the hall. "I wonder what Laguna would say if he found out about your side-job?"

Xu's face was suddenly full of mock-seriousness. "I assure you, my dear Scarlet Loire, this is definitely not my side-job. And I wonder what he would say if he knew his wife was designing weaponry for testing on the very people who gave her shelter when she first came to Japan?"

"You can talk Xu!" retorted Scarlet as she sat in her seat. "I seem to remember a certain nameless woman who you aided in Spira, the same place that you now send S.I.N into."

Xu smiled slightly. "I merely file and make coffee, my dear." she said sweetly as she handed Scarlet a blue file. "The blame does not lie with me."

***

"So, what do you think of this place?" asked Elena as she and the other Turks settled into their accommodation. Vincent merely shrugged. "It is as I remember it."

"Waaait, you've been here before?" asked Elena, her voice raising around four octaves. "When? Why? Can no-one remember it?"

Vincent smiled slightly at her naivety. "Many things have changed since I was here last, Miss Marshall. It has been a long time…"

Reno sat up suddenly, his eyes red from drink and drugs. "¿ Tiene algo para un niñ o de cinco añ os?" he asked suddenly before hitting the table again in deep slumber. Elena rolled her eyes as she watched him snore. He was certainly a wild card. "What about you Rude?"

"It's not New York, but it'll do." was his simple reply. Elena nodded with approval of his answer and sat on the brown couch. "Well I like it. Tseng's really got something going here."

Rude smiled slightly as he sat next to her. "Don't get too attached to Tseng… he's not a safe guy, Elena."

"What do you mean?" she retorted, her face going slightly pink at his accusations. Rude simply smiled at her and got up to get a beer. "You'll see."

Elena fumed at the men. "Well, aren't you all chripy!" she huffed sarcastically, sinking deeper into the couch. "It's just my luck. I have to be stuck with a goddamn junkie, a cryptic dealer and a… a…" she tried desperately to find a word to describe the sullen raven-haired Turk. "a VAMPIRE!" she settled on, feeling immensely pleased with herself. Vincent scowled at her and simply replied. "I am not a vampire, Miss Marshall."

"You gotta admit Vincent, you're not the most inviting man." added Rude as he returned from the miniscule kitchen with a six pack of brew. "You could be less… stoic."

"Look who's talking."

Elena groaned and started massaging her temples. "Y'know, I had a lot going for me in Los Angeles." she sighed, accepting the beer that Rude thrust in her hand. "Thanks- you know, I was a pretty respected student."

"You were a cheap hooker" Vincent countered honestly, taking a beer himself before realising he could not reach his mouth through his scarves. "That's how you met Tseng wasn't it?"

"I… Tseng helped pay for my course, that's all." She wasn't angry as Vincent had expected her to be. Instead her voice was quiet and meek, almost as if she was offended. Vincent left the table he was sitting at and joined her on the couch, watching as her brown eyes glazed over. "Elena, I'm going to ask you something, and I want you to answer honestly."

"What is it?"

"Have you ever killed anybody?"

She stared blankly at him. "No." was her simple answer. Vincent sighed as she asked him. "Why? Have you?"

"Thirty-seven" was his curt reply. Elena's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding!"

"Twenty-four" added Rude, taking a particularly large swig of his beer. "And the kid over there"? he added indicating to Reno. "I think he's on around fifteen"

"Viente!" he shot back, slowly getting up and helping himself to a beer. "Bad trip. I kill twenty men, an one woman but dat don' count."

Elena looked around the room suddenly nervous. "I… I don't know quite what to say."

"Den don' say it!" laughed the now heavily drinking Reno. "Iz like dis: first kill you get… how you say..?"

"Guilty" laughed Rude. He could only guess that wasn't a common word in Reno's English vocabulary, or even his common one. "But after that it seems less important."

"But… you're taking a life."

Vincent laughed slightly as he exited the house. You've gotta learn Elena."

"He's right." Rude whispered, staring deep into the blondes sparkling eyes. "Why do you think Tseng bought us here? He believes we can kill. He's got people in his sights already… Setzer, Auron, Hojo, Scarlet, Yuna and Braska… we have to kill to live, Elena. It's a tough world, but its one we have to deal with."

She shook her head. "Not me. What gives us the right to take lives? that's a privilege for God alone."

Rude didn't know what to tell her. Instead it was Reno who offered the answer. "God is dead." he said simply, tearing away his rosary and throwing at her. "We are the gods now."

***

Auron looked over the expanse aimlessly, pausing at Braska's house. Rikku had been there for almost three months now, and she was settling in well. He couldn't deny in a way he missed having her around him, but she was better off there, no doubt… he looked around at his apartment. It was really not as clean as usual… maybe he should make an effort to clean up. Grunting, he kicked off his shoes and hit the sofa. Maybe later…

The phone next to him rang, and he picked it up grudgingly. "Auron. Talk."

The voice on the other end giggled. "Heehee! You sound so stoopid on the phone, Aurie!" called the voice. He recognised it immediately. "What do you want Rikku?"

"Heeey, come over to the window!"

He knew better than to ask why. Instead he willed himself off the couch and went over, staring at Braska's apartment. Sure enough, she was there at the window, waving frantically at him and jumping up and down. He smiled slightly. He had never met anyone with so much energy… it was quite unnerving. Sighing he raised his hand back. "Yaaaay!" the girl screamed down the phone. Far too active. "Aaaaanyway, I was ringin' to ask if you wanna meet up and have a pizza or something? Cos Braska's over Jecht's an Yuna's out with Tidus an' Rinoa's with Seifer an' Fujin's with Raijin an'…"

Auron complacently listened to the girl babble on about the whereabouts of the whole of Spira. Eventually she paused to take a breath and he quickly intercepted. "So as the rest of Spira is busy you thought you'd call me."

"I just wanna see you! Y'know I don't think I've seen you properly since I moved out! We can order a pizza and chat and bitch about random Wutans and the government, and maybe watch that movie that's on tonight? Whadaya say?"

"Hmmm, why not." he found himself saying, crossing over to the table and inspecting the mess with a look of distain on his face. "But if you're coming round here you'll need to give me a moment to clear up."

"Ah, Auron!" she started, but she halted as the door knocked at his. Groaning he opened it, only to see her standing in front of him waving her mobile. "Auron, are you really so vain?!"

She laughed as she entered the living room. "Eeewwww! Auron, you really need to get a cleaner!" she giggled, handing him the pizza and starting to gather some of the mess on the coffee table. "I don't even wanna know what some of this is."

"You don't have to do that, Rikku. Just sit down and eat."

"You gotta be kidding! I am not eating in this mess!"

He laughed as she made quick work of tidying a space in the mess to place the pizza. When she lived here she did a good job of the cleaning, he couldn't deny that. But she was undoubtedly better off living with Braska. She'd settled in quickly with them; her personality was truly addictive. She'd made friends with all of the teens, and some of the adults too. And she was hailed as the greatest singer since Celes Chere.

"Heeey, I'm done now! Come on, sit down, I know you wanna!"

He complied readily, taking a seat and watching her as she attacked the pepperoni pizza with relish. The girl was a walking contradiction. "So, how are things at Braska's?"

"Mmmm, great!" she replied enthusiastically as ever, chomping her way through a dwarfing slice of ham and mushroom. "Yuna's such a laugh, and Braka lets me do whatever I like-"

"Unlike me, you mean? I just wanted you to be safe, Rikku." He smiled at her as she snuggled further into his old leather couch. She looked so content and… youthful.

"I know!" she droned, taking a swig of the beer. "It's just… you need to lighten up and live a little, Aurie!"

__

If only you knew how many I have lost through such negligence…

"I shall try" he responded, a false smile plastered over his face. "Now, what's the movie?"

She shrugged and reached for the remote. "I dunno what it's about, but it's meant to be really good! It's called… Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within."

He wrinkled up his nose at the very idea. "Its not a good idea, Rikku. That whole franchise was over-hyped. How about watching Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? The fights and wire-work is exceptional."

"Cool, Aurie!" she exclaimed, wriggling herself over so her head was resting on his arm. He smiled to himself. _If only you could see me now, Sanctum…_

****

Eerrgghhh, cack chapter. Nevermind though. I just had to have Auron diss Squaresoft! Lol its such an Auron thing to do…

REVIEW!!!


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